Hearing her question, a playful smile appeared on Mikael's face. "Do you want to faint again? It would be too stimulating for you!" he said in a mock-serious tone.
Hearing his words, she looked mortified, recalling that she had fainted yesterday. She stammered, "U-uh, yes, yesterday I was tired—yes, that's all. It won't happen again!"
Mikael found her too precious and hugged her gently, calming her. "Don't worry, I'm not disappointed or anything. That's not the reason I don't want to have sex with you. On the contrary, I would love to spend time with you," he spoke softly near her ear.
Kiara's body trembled, but she clung to Mikael, her thighs moving slowly, seemingly trying to entice him.
Mikael continued, "It's just that I need to leave soon for the Dirarnia world."
Upon hearing this, Kiara stopped trying to entice him with her thighs and pleaded, "Can't you stay with me?"
Seeing the pleading look on her face, Mikael's heart ached. He kissed her forehead for comfort and began to pat her head. Kiara closed her eyes, beginning to relax.
"You know I can't do that. Gaining strength is something I like, but it's especially important," he paused for a moment. "You don't want us to be separated one day because we lack strength, do you?"
"NO!" she screamed in horror, her eyes turning into black voids that seemed to suck in all the light around her. "Anyone who tries to separate us, I will KILL THEM!" she said in a chilling voice.
But Mikael wasn't scared. He simply continued patting her head. "That's my cute yandere."
After some time comforting her in that position, he patted her butt. "Let's go, it's time to get dressed."
She pouted but obeyed, and the two of them got dressed over the next few minutes while exchanging small talk.
Kiara wore her beautiful white dress, a stunning combination of elegance and medieval armor. Beside her, Mikael stood in his modern white-and-gold stylish uniform, creating a striking contrast yet forming a picturesque scene together.
They hugged each other goodbye before Mikael left Kiara's room. As soon as the door closed behind him, an extremely wide smile spread across her face. She sat on the bed, her hair falling over her visage as she looked toward the floor.
She began to murmur to herself, "Mikael is mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine... MINE. I need to kill those hoes who get close to him. Yeah, kill them." She grabbed her head and shook it violently. "No! I shouldn't kill them—it would make him sad! I can't hurt him. He's my Mikael!"
Her expression twisted again as she mumbled, "But those hoes will steal my time with him! ... Hmm I know the solution—I just need to kidnap him and lock him in my room forever! That way, I won't need to kill those bitches, so Mikael won't be sad. Even better, we'll stay together forever and ever... and ever." she thought satisfied with herself.
Rolling on the bed, she sniffed the mattress where Mikael had slept. Her fingers drifted toward her lower half, and she began to pleasure herself, thinking about him and inhaling his lingering scent.
Meanwhile, Mikael remained blissfully unaware of the extent to which Kiara's obsession had grown following their night together. He had already left the training room and entered the Dirarnia world.
In a flash of light, he appeared in his apartment, where he put on his bracelet and began reviewing the notifications from the previous night. He hadn't paid them much attention earlier, too caught up in the moment.
[Mattress purchased: -30 LP]
[Magical contraception activated for 5 LP per hour. Deactivate Yes/No?]
"Yes, deactivate it," he said.
[Magical contraception deactivated. -40 LP for usage time.]
'Five LP per hour for magical contraception? I'll take that deal ten times out of ten. It's far better to spend some LP than to deal with an unwanted pregnancy, especially since I'm not interested in having kids right now—or for a long time, honestly. Maybe I'll change my mind later, who knows? But for now, it's definitely not on the table.'
'Anyway, time to get back to training.'
With these thoughts, Mikael started practicing using the advanced control puzzle. He focused on refining his control all morning until it was time for the Aura Style course. This class was instrumental in helping him develop techniques like Blade Tempest, making it a valuable part of his routine.
While Mikael attended his Aura Style class, in an excessively opulent bedroom elsewhere, the atmosphere was anything but calm. The centerpiece of the room was a king-sized bed adorned with precious gems and gold, draped in sumptuous silk sheets and plush pillows embroidered with jewels. The walls were covered in extravagant wallpaper that screamed luxury, further complemented by a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Despite its individual elements being impressive, the sheer excess of precious materials turned the room into a gaudy display of wealth, detracting from its beauty.
"What did you say?" snapped a relatively handsome young man, his refined aura marred by anger. His neatly combed brown hair and sharp noble attire only emphasized the rage twisting his features. This was Wernon Digeglide, the heir to the esteemed Marquess family, the Digeglide.
Seated at the edge of the bed, he glared furiously at a middle-aged butler standing before him. The butler, dressed impeccably in a black suit, exuded an air of calm authority. His neatly combed hair, streaked with hints of gray, and sharp, discerning eyes revealed his years of experience.
"With all due respect, young master," the butler began in a composed tone, "Miss Amelia has been seen frequently in the company of Mikael Angelini. Most recently, during the Class 1 dungeon expedition briefing, they were observed openly flirting in front of their peers."
Wernon's face contorted in disbelief before giving way to a storm of rage. "HOW DARE HE?!" he roared, leaping to his feet and beginning to wreak havoc on the room.
The sound of smashing furniture echoed as he vented his frustrations, reducing the once extravagant bedroom to a chaotic mess. Breathing heavily, he muttered to himself, "This can't be. Amelia isn't like that. She's a pure girl, focused solely on gaining strength. She'd never be interested in a man."
His muttering turned darker as his thoughts spiraled. "It has to be that commoner. He must have seduced her. There's no other explanation! My pure Amelia couldn't possibly fall for someone like him!"
Fueled by his delusion, Wernon's anger reignited. "FUCK! How can I save her from his filthy clutches?" he growled, his mind racing for solutions. Finally, he turned to the butler.
"Jacob, I want you to kill him," he ordered, his voice laced with venom.
The butler, unflinching, gave a small bow before responding, "I'm sorry, young master, but I cannot comply."
Wernon's rage flared anew. "I SAID KILL HIM! DO AS I SAY!"
Remaining stoic, Jacob calmly explained, "As I mentioned, young master, Mikael Angelini resides within the Central Academy. He is under the protection of the royal family. Do you believe the Lord would condone such an action?"
At the mention of his father, Wernon's fury faltered. He turned pale, stammering, "Y-yeah, you're right. Maybe it's not such a good idea after all..."
Jacob continued, his tone measured, "It is not entirely impossible to deal with Mikael Angelini, but patience is required. We must wait until he leaves the safety of the Academy before making our move. This way, there will be no repercussions."
Relieved by this alternative, Wernon's lips curled into a twisted smile. "Good. Do it."
With a polite bow, the butler left the room. Walking through the mansion's darker, less-frequented corridors, he arrived at a black door and knocked softly.
"Knock, knock."
The door creaked open, revealing a masked man. "What can I do for you?" the man asked in a low, gravelly voice.
Jacob spoke with calm precision. "I have a task for you."
"And what would that be?"
"The target is Mikael Angelini. He's a commoner with no notable background. Current intelligence places him at F- rank, though his combat capabilities rival those of Amelia Mounrsky. His estimated peak power is around E+. The only complication is his residence within the Central Academy dormitories. You'll need to wait for him to leave the Academy before proceeding."
The masked man nodded thoughtfully. "Understood. I'll assign Number 30 and Number 31 to handle this. Both are at D+ rank and should be more than capable of dealing with a first-year student like him even as strong he is."
Satisfied, Jacob nodded and left.
Meanwhile, Mikael had just finished his Aura Style class, entirely oblivious to the assassins already commissioned to 'take care' of him.
He then continued working on his control until the next day arrived. Just before heading to the Array class, he managed to complete the 44th level of the puzzle. The Array course was, honestly, one of the most interesting classes for him. He had already learned several concepts and even managed to create an array (albeit a rudimentary one) that increased mana and aura concentration.
He constructed this array using supplementary materials he had purchased with credits, along with a C-rank orc core obtained from the Aedris World. This array functioned in tandem with the mid-grade Aura and Mana Concentration arrays already installed in the training room of his dormitory.
'Worked' might be an overstatement for what it actually did. Its effect was limited to a two-meter-by-two-meter zone rather than the entire room. The enhancement was minor—when his energy reserves were depleted, he would gain 7.8 units of energy instead of the usual 7.5. Moreover, the array required a new C-rank orc core every month to function.
After finishing the Array class, Mikael arrived at the Mission Hall, which resembled the Hunter Guild from the Aedris World. Before accepting any missions, he took a moment to review what he knew about dungeons.
'Dungeons are divided into three types. Red dungeons are portals that haven't been cleared in a long time and are on the verge of overflowing—which means the monsters will spill into reality. Not complicated, it's just like in Korean novels. The other two types are blue and green dungeons.'
'Blue dungeons are repeatable and don't disappear. They're like the one we did two days ago. Green dungeons, on the other hand, can only be cleared once. This makes them riskier due to the lack of prior information, but the rewards are much higher.'
'What generates money in dungeon diving are monster cores. These cores sometimes form inside monsters, but not always—it's a matter of luck. Green dungeons yield more monster cores, which is why they're more lucrative, though also riskier.'
After finishing his mental review, he turned his attention to the board displaying dungeons owned by the Academy, which were available for students to explore.
There was an extremely varied number of missions available, but Mikael was only interested in those related to dungeon clearing. These missions were divided into three types, depending on the dungeon classification: red, green, or blue. Red missions provided credits for clearing the dungeon, whereas the other two types did not directly award credits, though students could sell the obtained cores to the Academy in exchange for credits.
After taking some time to review the available blue dungeon clearing missions, he finally chose the following:
[Shadow Hunter Blue Dungeon Clear
Rank: E+ (Repeatable Quest)
Description: The Shadow Hunter dungeon is a blue dungeon filled exclusively with shadow-type monsters that specialize in stealth and ambush tactics. If you're not confident in your ability to detect them, do not attempt this dungeon—you'll only get yourself killed.
Central Academy rewards: You can sell the obtained cores to the Academy in exchange for credits.
System rewards: 700 LP per clear.]
Mikael selected this mission because it was one of the highest-paying E+ dungeons. Moreover, facing monsters that excelled in ambush tactics would allow him to train his sixth sense—a classic case of killing two birds with one stone.
Author Note:
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